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| Sunday, 21 April 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Dinesh Deheragoda, Nalin Perera and Shehera de Silva star performers at Fox Hill by S.M. JIFFREY ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Correspondent Dinesh Deheragoda (Motor Cars) and Nalin Perera (Motor Cycles) were adjudged the 'Super Fox for Year 2002' while Miss Shehera de Silva of Mobil Auto Color put up a stunning display to become the first lady to compete and win an event at the Fox Hill Supercross 2002 and SLARDAR Championship 2002 organised by the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SIMA) and the Army Sports Committee in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders and worked off at the Fox Hill Supercross tracks at Diyatalawa on Friday. It was motor racing at its best with thrills and spills in abundance which kept the record number of spectators on their toes and had their money's worth. There was also an exhibition display of sky diving by the Army Parachutes from an helicopter flown at a very high altitude which provided the side thrills. For the first time the official trials on the first day was washed off due to rains and the grid positions had to be decided by drawing lots and only a few of the Group A Cars events escaped the wrath of the Weather Gods. However the grid positions for the Super cars were determined by giving them practice runs on the race day morning. Dinesh Deheragoda driving for the UMLL team gave up his best performance at Fox Hill when he first won the Trucks and Jeeps open event quite comfortably. It was Ravi Mayadunne who was in front at the start but Dinesh soon caught at the first lap itself. Then it became a titanic struggle between the two 'Dineshs' with Dinesh Senanayake who was upgraded into this event posing a big threat as the race progressed. But using all his experiences and the power which the machine gave him enabled him to romp home winner. Dinesh Deheragoda's next win came in the Super Cars event up to 3,500 cc which could be termed as the 'Grand Prix' with the fastest of cars competing. Dinesh Deheragoda performed well right from the start and Team Caltex's Arvinda Premadasa, the defending champion starting from the back of the grid failed to roar into action and dropped out of the race, which deprived the spectators of more action as Arvinda Premadasa has performed well in this dirt track. But Dinesh Deheragoda behind a UMLL Mitsubishi Evolution VII did not have things easy as Team Mobil Auto Color's Romani de Silva in a Nissan Pulsar provided with a serious challenge with Rohan Speldewinde (Nissan Pulsar) Nalin D. Perera (Caltex Impreza) and Carmen Thenuwara (Faragon Impreza) also keeping the fight on. Romani de Silva displayed what a gutty driver he is, when kept winning despite his machine developing engine problems. But in the penultimate lap he had to drop out. But Dinesh Deheragoda in front kept sailing smoothly and emerged an easy winner. Nalin D. Perera finished a worthy runner up and new comer Rohan Speldewinde driving the Nissan Pulsar which won the 'Super Fox' title in the Year 2000 (Shanaka Ambrose) did extremely well to finish third. Since the Motor Cars Open event was cancelled at the last minute, this event provided the sparks for the day. But a little lady clad in a pair of shorts Miss Shehera de Silva came up with a sterling performance to win the event for Group A Cars between 10 to 12 Kg/HP in her Mobil Auto Color Nissan March. This was one of the fiercely contested event with no less than 23 competitors having entered the fray including her father 'Maestro' Rohan de Silva. Some did not turn up at the starting grid but without any double this event had the most number of cars, perhaps the males did not want a lady to win this race and see another male bastion fall. She looked a little rose among the prickles and there was no doubt the spectators at every corner cheered her lustily and applauded in delight. Miss Shehera de Silva starting from third position in the front grid shot into lead like a 'torpedo' which turned out to be a 'tornado' as the race progressed. There was a whole lot of experienced campaigners in this event with some having more power in their machines. But it was the manner in which she manoeuvred her machine and keeping to a very good line and not taking undue risks which kept her in the front. But in the fourth lap Team Caltex's Prassanna Ranasinghe over took her after she had slowed down near the Yokohama Corner. Prassanna Ranasinghe in a Caltex Honda finished first at the finish line followed by Shehera de Silva. But on a protest made it was found that Prassanna Ranasinghe had violated the rules by over taking her after a corner Marshall had shown the 'yellow flag' cautioning the drivers of danger ahead. While Prassanna Ranasinghe was disqualified, Shehera de Silva emerged winner with Buddhika de Silva and Upulwan Serasinghe finishing second and third respectively. Nalin Perera repeated his last year's performance by making a clean sweep of the event for two wheelers by winning the four top events thus underlining the fact that he is the best in the trade. He did this at last year's Fox Hill Supercross and followed it up at the Gajaba Supercross, Battaramulla Supercross and also the Katukurunda Championships. He won the events for Racing up to 125 cc, (two events), MX Upto 250 cc and the Open event. Wile Nalin Perera emerged clear winner and the little threat he got was from Rakkitha Wijetunga, Duanne Gunawardena and Gayan Sandaruwan who performed creditably in an 80 cc machine. While Shehera de Silva carried away the laurels in the men's event, another little girl Nayanthara Fernando won the kiddies event beating many boys and another girl Wathsala Hewawissa finishing third, indicating that the days of 'Tom Boys' having arrived. A point to note should be that two feats by Miss Shehera de Silva could never be emulated and carved her name into the record books. First is that she is the first lady driver to participate at the Fox Hill Supercross in its ten year old history. Next is that she is the first lady to be placed and also to win a male dominated event. This little dynamo which explodes into action from the word 'go' should light up the horizon of motor racing for many more years to come and give the males many sleepless nights in planning their strategy. Coming to the spills Carmen Thenuwara toppled his Faragon Nissan March for the third time in as many years, having previously done so at Koggala and Gajaba Supercross. Nihal Premasiri from Kahawatte while trying to shoot into the front position, hit the bank sending the tyres rolling and continued with the race and in the process sent his bonnet up in the air like a flying saucer. After one more lap he was stopped by the stewards as his vehicle was not in a condition to continue with the race. Madhushan Mannapperuma also hit the sand near the finish turning his Honda V Tech at right angles on the track. There were many other mishaps and over turning of vehicles. While daughter carried away the laurels, father Rohan de Silva did not go home winless as he won the Group A Cars over 12 Kg/HP in a very convincing manner. Dinesh Senanayake driving a Toyota sparkled winning the Trucks and Jeep event 4,500 cc very comfortably. Rameez Mahamoor once again gave an excellent display of clean driving by winning the M & T cars event upto 1,250 cc in his Castrol Cultus. Rameez was very confident and his driving delighted the crowds. Rizvi Farouk, the best exponent of Honda V Tech once again made the Team Caltex proud by winning the M & T Cars Upto 1665 cc despite some strong challenge from Yoga Perera and Romani de Silva. Motor cars events were also won by Buddhika de Silva, Hemantha Madola, Prassanna Ranasinghe, Nihal Weerasinghe, Nalin D. Perera, and veteran Sumanapala Mannapperuma who gave a polished display to emerge comfortable winner and showed that he has still got a lot more racing in him. In that event he got the better of his son Madhushan Mannapperuma and young Nalin D. Perera and Nadeera Jinasena. |
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